7 Mistakes people often make when working with Dodge and Burn.

March 27, 2019

7 Mistakes people often make when working with Dodge and Burn.

They zoom and work too closely.

Working too closely is a problem when you want to achieve good professional results in image editing.It is important to note that when working and looking at the image from a distance we see its full range of colors, tones, light and dark parts and when we look at the image too closely we see mostly the texture and it is difficult to judge to what extent we need to process the photo to correct and remove what we need and often the image can be overcorrected.

2. Using the tools that are assigned to a Photoshop by default in the toolbar.

We often have to use the Dodge and Burn technique, but we are very likely to be wrong if we use the built-in tools instead of some advanced technique and the reason for this is that these tools can distort the colors and tones in the photo when used directly on the image. A much better option would be to work with manually created adjustment layers to help with the lightening and darkening of the parts we want to correct.

3. Using only one of the tools to correct the differences in light and dark areas in our image.

When we use the Dodge and Burn technique, we strive to achieve maximum perfection (if it’s a beauty image) and a maximum natural look if it’s a portrait. In this case, using only the brightening or darkening layer will make our image too flat, without the dynamic in the tones, and then we will lose the image’s natural look and it can look overcorrected.

4. A too long workflow.

We’ve all experienced it – fatigue in the eyes is one of the most common problems in modern man.It occurs every time our eyes stretch to adjust to a specific light – they can get tired. Breaking the workflow and resting for a while is a must if we want our results to be realistic.When we look at the screen for a long time, the eyes can get tired a lot, and this hinders our judgment, and that can lead to results which can make our image too waxy or with the common problem called“ porcelain effect “.

5. Not using the help layers to help us work in this retouching process.

Almost always we need help layers to see the flaws that need to be removed and fixed.These layers may be different and in my group are included several layers to ensure maximum preservation of detail in the image. But in general one of the recommended layers is the use of a black and white layer that removes colors from the image temporarily so that I can focus on the process better.

6. Dodging or burning the photo too much.

Lightening or darkening is a familiar process such as “contouring” using tools and techniques such as Dodge and Burn but overdoing with this process can guarantee results that are worthy for articles like the “biggest photoshop mistakes and disasters”.True good results are achieved with little work on the right pre-determined problems that need to be fixed to achieve the expected result. Everything else is superfluous.

7. Using a mouse while working with the Dodge and Burn technique.

The good results with this technique are achieved through many small movements that are stacked one after another, not large and massive movements.That’s exactly why using a tablet to handle similar tasks will make life easier for you.Sometimes a person can make up to 20,000 movements with his hand and fingers and the use of a mouse will make it harder and it can slow down that process, so investing in a tablet is something everybody should consider when deciding, that he wants quality results in his work.Hand movements when using a tablet are very different from mouse movements.Long use of a mouse instead of a tablet causes the muscles of the hand to get tired and even traumatized sometimes, which is a problem that is not negligible.